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Definition 2024

second banana ‎(plural second bananas)

(idiomatic) A comedian who plays a secondary or supporting role, especially as straight man and traditionally in vaudeville or burlesque theatre.
He grew disenchanted with playing second banana and never getting credit for the laughter.
(idiomatic) A person who serves in a supporting, secondary, or subsidiary capacity; an assistant.
The plumber left his second banana behind, to finish installing my new sink.
- 2012, Michael Smyth, "The lifeboat is filling up", The Province, 30 August 2012:
  When you want to be the boss, but you can't, it's not a lot of fun to be second banana.